Two of the most damaging habits one can have, especially when moving into middle age and beyond, are smoking and drinking.

I quit smoking in 2011. I won't lie, it was quite difficult. But since I did, I have not missed it one tiny bit. I have much more money in my pocket. I have more breath, energy, and when I get sick, it doesn't last as long as it used to.

If you smoke, you know you need to quit, or it will result in higher medical bills, a shorter life, and much more suffering than you will experience if you quit.

The good news is that the Health District of Larimer County offers classes that have great success rates in helping people to quit using tobacco. This includes cigarettes and smokeless tobacco like chew or snuff.

The cost of the program is based on a sliding scale for those who live in Northern Larimer County (north of Carpenter Road), and $100 for those who don't live in that vicinity. As you can hear in the interview I conducted with one of the instructors, Norma, the savings that participants enjoy with nicotine replacement products, not to mention what you won't be spending on smoking, should far outweigh anything you have to spend on the course.